About The Characters...Thorin Oakenshield is a dwarf keenly aware of his own importance. Heir to a dragon-ravished land and exile in a foreign kingdom, he's determined to take back what is his - sometimes to an unreasonable degree. He's proud and quick tempered, but somehow likeable for all his foibles - while he demands a lot of the world, he gives loyalty and support generously in return and tends to eventually realise the error of his ways, even if that sometimes comes a little later than one would wish.

The story goes that he got his name when he marched to face a goblin army at the age of just 53, and - his shield broken - defended himself with a tree branch. So he's resourceful and more determined than your average, which is no bad thing for a leader on an impossible quest. Still, there is that embarrassing moment where he falls victim to an elven glamour model, so he's not as impervious as he might like to think. Next to Bilbo, he's probably the most complex and interesting character in the entire book.

Thorin

A proud and noble Dwarf of resolute character and stern bearing, Thorin Oakenshield is the grandson of Thror of the line of Durin and heir to the lost throne of Erebor. Alongside Moria, Erebor stood as the greatest of the realms of the Dwarves, a vast kingdom carved from the living rock of The Lonely Mountain, bustling with trade and bursting with wealth. Down upon Erebor the great dragon Smaug had fallen and the city and its people were engulfed by the inferno of his coming. Thorin and his kin were fortunate to escape with their lives, though they left everything else behind. Their treasure and pride was swept up by the dragon into a pile upon which he curled to sleep, deep inside the mountain. When no one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile.

Throughout the long, hard decades of his exile, Thorin’s mind ever dwelled upon the thought of some day retaking the mountain and restoring his people to their erstwhile splendour. Now, as the strong, fearless fighter and respected leader, Thorin is determined to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that brought such misery upon his people.

As the heir to the stolen throne and upon whose shoulders the future of the line of Durin depends, Thorin feels keenly the threat of failure and what it will bring – a fiery death for himself and the loss of his people’s hope.

In time he would form a company of Dwarves, thirteen in number and at the Wizard Gandalf’s insistence, reluctantly employ the services of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, setting out for The Lonely Mountain with dreams of gold and glory.

Beset by enemies and misfortune, Thorin and his party would lose much along the way, but one prize the grim-faced Dwarf was pleased to lay hands upon early in his journey was the mighty sword, Orcrist, a famous blade of Elven make and well suited to be carried by a king, if one yet in want of a kingdom.

About The Characters...Nori and Dori wear similar purple hoods in the book, while Ori wears a grey one with a silver bell on the end. The similarity in their names and backgrounds - all three lived in Thorin's home in the Blue Mountains before joining his quest to retake the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug - will rightly suggest that they're family. It was Tolkien's tradition, with his dwarves in this series in particular, to give close family similar names.

These three have no particular stand-out attributes in the book: it is Dori who's tasked with carrying Bilbo as they travel through the tunnels under the Misty Mountains as goblins chase them, and he helps the hobbit again when they're climbing trees to escape another foe after Nori spotted that Bilbo had been left behind, but there is little more to make them stand out. Ori's contribution to history, meanwhile, comes later. MINOR SPOILER ALERT: he was the one who, having returned to the Mines of Moria in the years after this book but before the Ring quest, wrote the final account of the disasters that befell that company. "We cannot get out, we cannot get out... We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming."

Nori

Perhaps the most elusive member of The Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Nori is often in trouble with the dwarvish authorities. Deciding it might be a good time to leave town, he readily joins the Quest for the Lonely Mountain, not realizing the journey ahead may well lead him into far more trouble than he has left behind. Nobody ever quite knows what the quick-witted and wily Nori is up to, except that it’s guaranteed to be dodgy and quite probably illegal. Despite rarely seeing eye-to-eye with his brothers Dori and Ori, he is nonetheless immensely loyal and will protect them by whatever means possible.

A Dwarf of independent spirit and inclinations, Nori was accustomed to relying on himself and trusting his own resourcefulness to overcome the challenges that his adventures occasionally presented. To that end, he was never a Dwarf to be caught without that most versatile of tools, a short, sharp knife. Indeed, he carried a number on his person, secreted or worn openly, among them a short, broad bladed, double-edged design that fit snugly into his palm and could be drawn or concealed in the blur of a seemingly innocent gesture.

Ori

Younger brother to Nori and Dori, Ori is a talented artist, and can often be found drawing and writing in his journal. It is Ori who chronicles much of the journey through The Wild to the shores of the Long Lake and the slopes of The Lonely Mountain. Polite and well-bred, he is used to being bossed around by his older brother Dori and is usually biddable, although occasionally he can surprise his fellow companions with his courage and determination.

Dori

A distant relative of Thorin Oakenshield, Dori is the eldest amongst his brothers Ori and Nori. He is the strongest in The Company of Dwarves, and spends much of his time watching out for Ori, making sure he hasn’t caught a chill or gotten himself killed by Wargs or Goblins. Eternally pessimistic, with a natural tendency to expect the worst, Dori is nonetheless quite prepared to risk life and limb in order to get the job done.

About The Characters...Oin wears a brown cloak but is otherwise rather an undistinguished dwarf, in terms of his adventures in the book. He's definitely there, but whether he's much use is another matter. And of course the rather more complex and layered costumes here mean that the hood colour guide in the book won't be much use either. MINOR SPOILER ALERT: The same Book Ori wrote, which the Fellowship found in Moria and which told the account of that expedition, mentions that Oin was slain by the goblins during that disaster.

Gloin, meanwhile, was already glimpsed in The Fellowship of the Ring, wherein he accompanied his son Gimli to the Council of Elrond (Gimli was a mere stripling of 62 at this stage, and was considered too young to travel along). Gloin's chief characteristic in the book is that he's a good man (dwarf) with a tinderbox, and can generally be relied upon to get a fire going even in the most inhospitable conditions. Given that the Company's journey takes it across the Wilds, through inhospitable woods and impassable mountains and dragon-blasted plains, that's no bad thing.

Oin

Along with his brother Gloin, Oin is a distant cousin of Thorin Oakenshield. A brave Northern Dwarf, Oin joins The Company of Thorin Oakenshield out of a sense of loyalty to his kin, and also because he has a substantial sum of money invested in the venture. Well read with an enquiring mind, Oin is the healer among the Company, often applying an herbal salve of his own invention — which has since come to be known as ‘ointment’ after its maker.

Gloin

Of all the members in The Company of Dwarves who set out on the Quest to The Lonely Mountain, Gloin is the most outspoken and opinionated and is not afraid to challenge authority. He has a tendancy to be quick-tempered, but he is also strong, brave and loyal. Gloin is one of the only married Dwarves in the Company (there being a shortage of female Dwarves in general). His wife is an acclaimed beauty with a particularly fine beard. Gloin is also the proud father of a young son, Gimli, who will later grow up to become part of the famous Fellowship of the Ring.

About The Characters...Fili and Kili are brothers, the youngest of the dwarves on the mission and probably the most fun. Both sport yellow beards and blue hoods in the book, but here they've gone for a more individual and vastly cooler look - these are, if you will, rockstar dwarves. And that's appropriate: these two are forever sent out scouting, their keen young eyesight getting the group out of any end of trouble and their initiative helping in any number of circumstances. They're also closer to Bilbo than any of the other dwarves except, perhaps, Balin, and are with him when he makes one of his key discoveries in the book. No, not the bit where he finds a certain Precious. One of the other ones. You won't be seeing it until 2013, so don't stress about it yet.

Fili

Fili was born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of his uncle, Thorin Oakenshield. Along with his brother Kili, Fili is one of the youngest in The Company of Dwarves. He has never traveled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. A skilled fighter, Fili sets off on the adventure ahead with little idea of the challenges and dangers that lie before him.

Worn upon his arms, the paired knives of Fili were small, but keen and deadly, perfectly suited to a short statured, swift footed, warrior. Engraved upon the pommels of his knives was the young Dwarf prince’s seal, one of the few clues to his royal heritage, for Fili wore no ostentatious pretentions of grandeur or office, choosing to garb himself practically, his nobility portrayed in bearing instead of proud raiment.

Like his brother Kili, Fili was a fighter of exceptional skill and versatility, trained in the art of battle with many weapons. Armed with sword, axe or knife, the young Dwarf was no less dangerous to enemies of the heirs of Durin.

Kili

Younger brother to Fili, Kili is a loyal nephew to Thorin Oakenshield. Carefree and somewhat reckless, Kili has led a charmed and untroubled life to this point. Handsome and physically able, Kili possesses the invincible courage of youth. He is a skilled fighter and expert archer, having been trained with weapons from an early age. As one of the youngest in The Company of Dwarves, Kili is determined to make his mark and prove his worth.

About The Characters...Bombur and Bofur are brothers; Bifur's their cousin, but one of those cousins so close that he might as well be another brother. The latter two are more-or-less irrelevant to the book's story, although they might get more of a look-in here, but Bombur is much more of a force in the plot - if only for frustration. The fattest and laziest of the dwarves, he's always first to complain and last to lend a hand. He's the source of some physical comedy in the book, his very first arrival notable for him falling through Bilbo's door and squashing his fellow travellers in a pile on the mat. Later, the dwarves are sometimes lumbered with the problem of carting his unconscious form through rather hostile terrain, making him a less thantotally useful member of the party. Still, his heart's probably in the right place, just buried under a mountain of fat.

Bombur

Brother to Bofur and cousin to Bifur, Bombur is the chief cook amongst The Company of Dwarves. His immense size and voracious appetite causes frequent problems – and laughter – for himself and The Traveling Party. Despite his size he can be surprisingly effective as a fighter — and woe betide anyone who makes him late for dinner!

Bofur

Endearing and likeable, Bofur has a tendency to state the obvious and blurt out things without thinking. With a love of music and a fine singing voice, Bofur delights in good food and good company and is unfailingly optimistic. Though not especially brave, he will do his best to help those in need, especially those he counts as friends. Along with his brother Bombur and his cousin Bifur, Bofur joined the Quest for the Lonely Mountain partly to seek his fortune – and partly because he was told the beer was free.

Bifur

Born in the West, Bifur has the rusting remains of an Orc axe embedded in his forehead, which has rendered him inarticulate and occasionally feisty! He communicates only with grunts and hand gestures. Unlike most of the others in The Company of Dwarves, Bifur is not related to Thorin, nor is he of noble lineage, but rather is descended from miners and smithies – simple folk with simple tastes.

About The Characters...Balin's probably the most important dwarf behind Thorin, just ahead of Fili and Kili. A sort of deputy leader, he speaks for the dwarves when Thorin is absent and leads them when he's not around. He's also a decent sort who befriends Bilbo even when everyone else is wary of him or disappointed in him. The company's go-to lookout man, he's a keen-eyed sentry, and gained a huge respect when Bilbo (assisted by the Ring) managed to sneak past him. It should be no spoiler to anyone paying attention during Lord of the Rings to say that he survives this quest, and years later led the fatal expedition to the Mines of Moria, where he met his end.

Balin's younger brother Dwalin, by contrast, barely opens his mouth during the story of The Hobbit. He is, however, the very first dwarf to arrive at Bilbo's for the Unexpected Party that opens the book, dressed in a green hood and golden belt, but that's as distinguished as he gets. Let's hope McTavish can kick him up a notch. And that both actors are learning the viol that their characters can supposedly play.

Balin

When Balin spoke in the great halls of Erebor, the wise would listen. The council of Fundin’s eldest son was much revered among the noble Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and beyond, for he was clear-sighted, discerning and erudite. Even as a young Dwarf, Balin’s artful word-craft was equal to the jewellery of the finest Dwarven smith. A lord in his own right, Balin was cousin to the King Under the Mountain and friend to Prince Thorin Oakenshield in the days of the Dwarf realm’s grandeur.

But that was before the coming of Smaug. In a single devastating assault, Erebor was consumed by fire and death when the Dragon fell upon them. The heirs of Durin fled and with them Balin and his brother Dwalin. Through the long years in exile, Balin’s sage council was depended upon by Thorin Oakenshield, surviving heir to the lost throne and in whom the hope of a displaced people now resided. When Thorin begins making plans to reclaim their home, Balin is with him, resolute, loyal and solicitous, there to provide a thoughtful word in the ear and a sword at his side – but deep in his heart, this wisest and most loyal of Dwarves harbors troubling doubts about the wisdom of the Quest for the Lonely Mountain.

Balin is one of the oldest members of The Company of Dwarves. Wise and gentle by nature, he has been forced to live a life fraught with war and the ongoing struggle for survival. While the old Dwarf is long in beard, his gnarled hands have lost little of their strength over the years and his eyes are still as keen as a hawk’s. Upon his hip he wears a wickedly pointed Dwarven mace. Wrought in the smithies of Erebor lost, its edges are as sharp as any sword and its copper-hued faces blaze like fire in the sun, catching the light to shine like a flame in his hands.

Though age and long miles might have tempered the keenness of the old warrior’s reflexes, both mind and weapon are as sharp as the day the dragon first descended upon the Dwarves’ mountain home, and Balin will not shy from drawing his star-pointed blade when foes threaten.

Dwalin

A warrior of renown among his kind, Dwalin has fought at Thorin Oakenshield’s side many times and the two spar regularly to hone each others skills. More like a brother than distant kin, Dwalin is loyal to the last hair in his beard and would willingly lay down his own life if it would save Thorin Oakenshield’s.

Dwalin speaks his mind plainly and is not one to suffer fools lightly. Fiercely loyal, he is Thorin’s staunchest supporter, with an unshakeable belief in his friend’s leadership.

A powerful and bruising fighter, Dwalin has a natural tendency to distrust anyone who is not a dwarf and is particularly suspicious of Elves. Proud, brave and one of the tallest of the dwarves, Dwalin will bow to none but those who have earned his respect.

Dwalin, son of Fundin, was proficient with arms of all kinds, but when laying blows swiftly and against many adversaries at close quarters, he liked nothing better than the two single-handed axes he wore crossed upon his back. Named Ukhlat and Umraz, the short-hafted axes were simple in shape, wide in blade and heavy in head. Upon their broad faces their Khuzdul names were carved in runes.

In battle the scarred old warrior wields a great hammer near as tall as he stands. Upon his arms and scalp are tattoos as angular and hard-edged in design as the dwarf himself, and upon his brow is knitted a frown etched by years hardship. Yet Dwalin is not cheerless, for dwarves feel all things deeply. Grudges he bears, but Dwalin also laughs loudest and with all his heart in times of mirth and celebration. No stronger second could Thorin Oakenshield have hoped for in his quest.

extras:

Bilbo Baggins

In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit in comfortable middle age at 50 years old, was hired in spite of himself as a "burglar" by the wizard Gandalf and 13 dwarves led by their king Thorin Oakenshield on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. The adventure took Bilbo and the companions through the wilderness, to the elf haven of Rivendell, across the Misty Mountains and the black forest of Mirkwood, to Lake-town in the middle of Long Lake, and eventually to the Mountain itself. Here, after the dragon was killed and the Mountain reclaimed, the Battle of Five Armies took place.

In his journey, Bilbo encountered other fantastic creatures, including trolls, elves, giant spiders, a man who can change shape into a bear, goblins, eagles, wolves and a slimy, murderous creature named Gollum. Underground, near Gollum's lair, Bilbo accidentally found a magic ring of invisibility, which he used to escape from Gollum.

By the end of the journey, Bilbo had become wiser and more confident, having saved the day in many gruesome situations. He rescued the dwarves from giant spiders with the magic ring and a short Elven-sword he acquired. He used the ring to sneak around in hostile environments, as well as his wits to smuggle the dwarves out of the elves' prisons. He was able to hold his own in conversation with the wily Smaug. When tensions arose over ownership of the recovered treasure, he tried unsuccessfully to bring the opposing sides to compromise, using a stolen heirloom jewel as leverage. This strained his relationship with Thorin, but the two were reconciled at Thorin's deathbed. At the end of the story, Bilbo returned to his home in the Shire only to find that several of his relatives, believing him to be dead, were trying to claim his home and possessions. In addition to becoming wealthy from his share of the dwarves' treasure, he found that he had traded respectability for experience and wisdom.

extras:

Gandalf the Grey

Gandalf the Grey appeared to mortal Men in the form of a tall man, bent with age and sporting a long flowing beard. Professor Tolkien describes Gandalf's ability to appear outwardly to others as nothing more than a ratty old conjuror (in many ways disguising his true powers), such that when Bilbo first encounters the wizard in the opening pages of The Hobbit he writes: "All that unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots." Gandalf is also noted to have distinctly bushy eyebrows. After his encounter with the Balrog on 15 January T.A. 3019, Gandalf the Grey returned in renewed corporeal form as Gandalf the White, after which he dressed in strikingly white robes

extras:

Radagast the Brown

A member of the order of wizards specializing in animal lore. Commonly maintains relationships between the wizards and the various animal lords. As one of the five Istari Wizards sent to Middle-Earth by the Valar, Radagast was hand picked by Yavanna, the Valar who created all of the growing things in Middle-Earth, who strongly pressed Curunir (Saruman) to take Radagast as one of the five. Saruman resented his being coerced to include Radagast as one of the Five, as he viewed him as an inferior. This was evident by Saruman's open scorn and criticism throughout the books.Yavanna knew Radagast had a strong love of her creations of nature and wildlife, and that by sending him to Middle-Earth he would be drawn to look to and protect the things he had grown to love while in Aman, and not to fulfill his mission as one of the Istari, which was to stand against Sauron and to inspire Men, Elves, Dwarves and all free people of Middle-Earth for good. While in Middle-Earth, Radagast paid little notice for the doings and actions of the outside world, and would often dissapear into the forests and wilderness for long periods of time. While Radagast failed in his specifically appointed mission as an Istari, he did succeed in fulfilling Yavanna's subterfuge.

This is a personal project, just for fun. Some of these images have been randomly selected via Internet search to improve my style and to learn to appreciate other people’s taste.The selection of these images is an informative example of things that I like.The project is a not-for-profit venture and has no commercial purpose. It is merely a way to develop and define a personal creative idea. Some images have been selected on the web, in forums and through search engines, and the chosen ones were not protected by copyright, nor was any limitation put on their use. The images have been re-edited through post-production and re-touching interventions. However, should any image unintentionally happen to infringe copyrights, please let us know via email (gianfrancogallo10@yahoo.it) and it will be immediately removed.